1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to port cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for cleaning an explosion sensing port in the wall of a chamber, and maintaining the port open so that fluid pressure within the chamber can be continuously sensed through the port.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to provide shredding equipment, for example, having a chamber within which an explosive mixture can accumulate. Such chambers are provided with explosion suppression means coupled thereto which, when actuated, release a pressurized suppression agent or the like into the chamber for suppressing or smothering the explosion. The chamber has one or more sensing ports extending through a wall thereof, and a fluid pressure detector fluidly connected to the port. The detector senses an increase in fluid pressure through the port when an explosion occurs, and in response thereto actuates the explosion suppression means which suppresses or smothers the explosion.
A problem with the aforementioned explosion suppression system is that the sensing port may get plugged with shredded material or the like within the chamber, thereby blocking the passage of fluid pressure through the port. As a consequence, the detector and the explosion suppression means are not actuated by any fluid pressure increase within the chamber resulting from an explosion. Accordingly, the explosion is unsuppressed with possible disastrous results. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a novel apparatus and method for preventing the sensing port from becoming blocked.